Shocking photographs of sparks and lightning bolts by Marc Simon Frei

Swiss photographer Marc Simon Frei is repurposing an old invention for his latest artwork. These dramatic images capture electric currents created by a Tesla coil, an electrical resonant transformer circuit invented around 1891 by the famous Nikola Tesla which produces both high and low voltage.

The series is aptly named Tesla Sparks and shows these colorful currents in various fascinating shapes. Frei turns the currents into such designs by arching a variety of objects to the coil, which bends the current in stunning ways. Frei even created fake clouds out of wool to mock the look of lightning storms.

“Don’t try this at home,” Frei says of the work, “the high frequency voltage could damage your equipment.” [h/t beautifuldecay.com]